CANBERRA, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Australian Climate Change Minister Penny Wong said here on Saturday that thousands of lights in hundreds of government offices across the nation would be switched off between 8 pm and 9 pm for Earth Hour Saturday night.

    The High Court of Australia, National Library of Australia, Australian War Memorial, Parliament House, National Museum of Australia, National Science and Technology Center and Royal Australian Mint are among the iconic buildings in Canberra to be switching off their lights in order to reduce emissions and curb global warming.

    "Even with a function scheduled on the night, the National Gallery of Australia has signed up to switch off as many lights as possible, to conserve energy for the benefit of our environment," Wong said in a statement.

    "The Australian government is throwing its full support behind the efforts of World Wild Fund in organizing Earth Hour....It is vital that we raise awareness that we can all make a difference by saving energy in our homes," she said.

    Talking about the saving of energy and protection of the environment, the minister said the government would consider all options including setting targets and powering Parliament House and electorate offices with renewable and clean energy.